Pyaz ki Khatti-Meethi Tarkari (baby-onions in sweet-tangy sauce)

Nice sweet tangy onion subzi thats quite refreshing. It's a simple, no-fuss dish that goes very well with any kind of dal and phulkas (puffed indian bread). Perfect on a day when you want to eat something light and easy!

You need:

White pearl baby onions - 12-14 cps. (Substitute with roughly chopped onions)

Green Chili - 2 (slit)

Mustard Oil - 1 tsp

Onion Seeds/ Kaluanji/ Nigella Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Ginger Pate - 1/2 tsp

Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

Tamarind pulp - 1 tbsp

Jaggery - 2 Tbsp 

Red chili powder - 1/4 tsp (adjust to taste)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

1. Heat mustard oil in pan till it starts fuming. If you are cooking in mustard oil, always make sure the oil is heated till it fumes and only then start adding other ingredients. This takes away the bitterness from the oil and lends only the mustard flavor to your dish.
2. Add kalaunji and green chili. 
3. Once kalaunji splutters add turmeric, ginger, garlic paste and fry for 15-20 sec. 
4. Add the tamarind pulp, red chili powder, salt and jaggery.
5. Add a cup of water and mix all the ingredients well. 
6. Now add the onions and cook till the onions lose their pungent taste and become sweet and soft.
7. Serve with phulkas and dal. 

*If you don't have baby-onions at hand, replace with red onions (quartered and layers separated)

Haryali Subzi

A very healthy yet delightful dish! You have the goodness of spinach and the crunch, tang and burst of colors from other mixed vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, beans and green peas. I think this preparation will make kids ask for more!

Ever wondered if you were to make a nice dish for someone who loves spinach, what are the chances that you would make Palak Paneer? 90%. Hmmm.. 

I used to always run out of ideas to make spinach interesting, until I came across this recipe. The simple nutty taste of spinach with other garden vegetables coated in a tangy sauce makes it really refreshing! The best part is the spinach and other vegetables retain their individual tastes and yet taste so good together! I just love the way this dish is laid out. You  place the colorful vegetables right on top of a bed of glossy green spinach. Trust me, you will take your kids, family and guests, by surprise. It looks good and tastes even better!

You need:

Spinach puree – 1 Cup (see my notes below to blanch and puree)

Onion – 1 medium (fine chopped)

Ginger – 1 inch (fine chopped)

Garlic – 3-4 cloves (fine chopped)

Nutmeg powder – ¼ tsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Tomato – 1 medium (fine chopped)

Cauliflower – ¼ Cup (or adjust  to liking, should be cut into small florets)

Carrot – 1-2 medium (or adjust  to liking, should be thinly sliced )

Beans – ¼ Cup (or adjust to your liking, cut into 1 inch pieces, )

Sweet baby green peas – ¼ Cup (or adjust to your liking)

Red chili powder – ¼ tsp (adjust to taste)

Garam Masala – ½ tsp

Fresh coriander / Cilantro – 2 tsp (fine chopped)

1. In a heavy bottom pan heat  ½ tsp of oil. 
2. Fry ginger and garlic for 30 seconds. 
3. Add the spinach puree, salt and nutmeg and let it cook. 
4. In a separate non-stick pan, fry chopped onions without using any oil till translucent. 
5. Transfer the onion to the spinach mixture. Add ½ tsp garam masala and continue  to cook till you get a nice thick gravy/ sauce consistency.  
6. In a separate pan, heat remaining oil and add cumin seeds. 
7. Once it splutters, add the tomatoes and salt. Cook the tomatoes till it become pulpy.
8. Add all the vegetables, salt to taste, red chili powder and remaining garam masala. Mix well, cover and cook till 80% done. But make sure they are cooked but still a little crunchy. 
9. Add the coriander leaves and switch off the gas. 
10. Now first transfer the spinach puree into a bowl. Now, on this bed of spinach puree, gently place the vegetables on top. Serve it as is!

* Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt, followed by spinach and immediately switch off the flame. Don't cover with any lid. After exactly 2 min. drain out the water out and dip the spinach in chilled water to stop the cooking process. Otherwise it will not only overcook but lose color too. Now blend the spinach  this to get a fine puree. 

** You can also add paneer to this vegetable mix

Vegetable Stew - Kerala Cusine (Mild coconut based Veg-Stew)

What can I say! My first appam-stew experience was at my friend's (Leena Mohan) place when I was in school. Ever since I have been absolutely bonkers over this delicious, mild, flavorful stew served with crunchy yet soft sweet appams (pan cakes). Infact I can have this stew just like that as my dinner! One of those things I absolutely adore. 

My love affair with appam-stew continued at Coconut Grove (Bangalore, Church Street). The guys at Coconut Grove (CG) always got some extra stew for me since they knew one bowl wasn't sufficient! The appams were always served one after another so that they come steaming hot into your plate. Of course fried fish was an integral part of this combo in CG. The music was relaxing, the tender coconut water was soothing, the fried fish was tongue tickling and the appam stew was comforting. I still love going to CG on any given day! 

Ok, so since CG can't come here, I have there is work cut out for myslef to re-create the appam-stew magic! So I called my sister-in-law Nisha (who is originally from - god's own country – Kerala) to get the authentic stew recipe. Now I know,  a typical staple food made at home can never have a standard recipe (for that matter there is nothing called the real authentic recipe, each one has their own version based on taste and liking). But then, there is always that one little secret which only mom's know! And Nisha had her mom next to her explaining the recipe to me! That's called luck! And trust me, I got that one secret ingredient from her which no recipe (books, online, cookery show) mentions. And that is saunf/ fennel powder. The minute I tasted the stew, I knew it, I had hit the jackpot!! I have made this stew countless number of times, but this time around, the CG taste was in my stew!!! Ah the stew!!

Just realised, I was here to share the recipe! :) Last quick note - check out the nice dinner menu from 'God's Own Country - Kerala'!

You need: 

(serves 2 – I could have eaten it all alone but there were two of us for dinner :) )

Potatoes – 2 medium size (boiled, peeled and roughly cut into cubes)

Pearl white onions – ½ Cup (or cut onions into big chunks)

Carrot – 1 medium (peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces)

Green chilies – 2-3 (slit)

Bay leaf – 1 no. 

Cloves – 3-4

Green cardamom – 3-4

Cinnamon stick – 1 inch

Curry leaves – 7-10 

Saunf powder – 1.5 tsp (must, must, this is the secret ingredient)

Coriander powder – 1 tsp 

Salt – to taste

Coconut oil – 2 tsp  (will be used in parts)

Good quality coconut milk – 14-16 Oz can (I used almost half, you may want to adjust this as per your taste and the quality of the coconut milk)

1. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pressure cooker, add green chilies, bayleaf, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick. curry leaves and fry for 30 secs. 
2. Now add the saunf and coriander powder. Fry for 15 sec. 
3. Add carrots and pearl onions. Give a stir and add enough water to just cover the vegetables. 
4. On a high flame pressure cook the vegetables for exact 3 min. Whether whistle happens or not, switch off the heat and ease the pressure. You could either run it under cold water or lift the whistle. This is to make sure the vegetables are cooked but still firm. 
5. Transfer all the contents to a sauce pan, add the potatoes and bring to a boil. 
6. After 5 min, add the coconut milk and adjust the salt. Cook for min, drizzle the remaining 1 tsp coconut oil and mix (you can skip this if you don't like the smell of coconut so much but it does make a difference). 
7. Switch off and serve hot with hot appams! 
8. Once the stew cools it thickens a little so adjust the consistency if you plan to cool it a little and eat. But this dish should be eaten steaming hot!

*You can also make appams with hardly any effort. Try the Appam and Mutta-Appam recipe. 

Kathal Subzi (Green Jackfruit Curry)

Kathal (jackfruit) has such amazing fibrous texture and nutty taste, even a non-vegetarian would happily settle for this! I just love this curry with steamed rice or even with pooris (deep fried indian bread). Make sure you use only raw/baby jackfruit for this curry and not the ripe one. 

As a kid I remember holi was never complete without this curry and dahi - vada. And in those times most vegetables and fruits used to be seasonal and finding jackfruit around that time of the year used to be a project in itself. But dad would not give up and use all his resources to make this curry possible on Holi. Oh makes me so nostalgic!!

You need: (serves 2)

Kathal/ Green or Raw Jackfruit – 16 Oz can  or sufficient for two 

Onion – 1 medium size 

Tomato – ½ medium (it should be half the quantity of onion)

Ginger – ½ inch piece

Garlic – 3-4 cloves

Bay leaf – 1 

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Green cardamom – 2 nos.

Black cardamom – 1 no. 

Coriander powder – 1.5 tsp

Garam masala – 1 tsp

Red chili powder – ½ tsp 

Mustard oil – 3-4 tbsp (used in parts)

1. Blend onion, ginger and garlic into a fine paste. Keep aside.
2. Blend tomatoes into a fine paste. Keep aside. 
3. Traditionally the jackfruit is deep fried to a golden brown color. But I pan fry them on a non-stick pan in 1-2 tablespoon of mustard oil till they are golden brown on all sides and get a little crispy from outside. Using mustard oil for this preparation is recommended. Keep aside. 
4. In a pressure cooker, heat the remaining mustard oil. 
5. Add bay leaf, cumin seeds, green cardamoms, black cardamom. 
6. Once you get the aroma of the spices add the onion, ginger, garlic paste. Immediately add salt. Now fry till they become golden brown. Frying onions well is important in this recipe.
7. Now add the turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder. Fry on a medium high. 
8. Add the tomato blended tomatoes and fry till they become soft.
9. Now add the garam masala and fry well. Once the garam masala is cooked well and the oil starts leaving the soil, add 2-3 tbsp of water and fry till the water dries up completely. 
10. Add the jackfruit and mix the masala well. 
11. Add sufficient water for the consistency you want.
12. Pressure cook on high heat till one whistle. 
13. Immediately switch off as the canned jackfruits are already quite tender. If you are using fresh ackfruit, you may have to wait for 2-3 whistles, depending on your pressure cooker. 
14. Tastes best with steamed rice or poori, paratha! 

*Fresh jackfruit tastes much better. However the ones you get in cans are also pretty good in the absence of fresh ones. Just drain all the liquid and wash thoroughly to remove any salt or preservative. I leave the jackfruit chunks from the can, as is, since they are soft and will break easily when pressure cooked. Even if you want to make smaller chunks, make sure the fleshy part (which makes the central core of the jackfruit) holding all the fibrous portion  stays intact, otherwise the jackfruit will fall apart while cooking.  

**If you are removing skin of jackfruit yourself, make sure you grease your hands and knife well as it  can get very sticky and slimey. 

***Make sure the jackfruit is really raw, else your gravy will be sweetish. 

Chicken Ghassi/ Kori (Koli) Gassi

This chicken curry reminds me of my crazy days in Manipal. Though hostel food was not really worth eating, but some generous local friends did treat us to good Mangalorean food! And it's during this time when I discovered home made Mangalorean cuisine that is so full of life and flavor! 

Chicken Ghassi or popularly known as Kori Ghassi goes so well with the sweetness of Neer Dosa (Neer means water in  Kannada and this dosa is super soft, super light pancake made with a very diluted batter) or steamed rice! I had initially made only 2 doses for myself but ended up eating a lot more!! The lovely coconutty flavor with the spice of the red chili is mouth-watering. It is definitely worth a try. Fairly simple to make too!

You need

For Chicken Marinade:

Chicken, 1 inch pieces - 400 grams

Lemon juice –  ¾ Tbsp

Ginger paste – ½ Tbsp

Garlic paste – ½ Tbsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Salt 

Marinade for an hour atleast

For the Curry:

Fresh coconut scraped and dry roasted– ½ Cup 

Coriander seeds – 1 tsp 

Black peppercorns – 4-5 nos. 

Fenugreek seeds/ Methi  – ¼  tsp 

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp 

Whole dry chillies – 3-4 Nos. (adjust to taste)

Oil - 3 tablespoons

Onions – 1 medium size (chopped, will be used in parts)

Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp

Curry leaves – 6-7 nos. 

Garlic – 3-4 cloves (minced)

Tamarind pulp – ¾ Tbsp

Coconut milk – ¼  Cup

1. Marinate chicken with lemon juice, ginger, garlic paste, turmeric and salt for an hour. 
2. In 1 tsp of oil lightly sauté coriander seeds, black peppercorns, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and whole red chillies.
3. Grind these along with roasted coconut and half an onion to a fine paste using a little water if required. 
4. Heat remaining oil in pan. Add mustard seeds.
5. Once they splutter, add garlic, remaining onions and curry leaves. Sauté for five minutes on low heat till its golden brown in color. 
6. Add marinated chicken and fry till it turns brown on all sides.
7. Add the ground masala made of the coconut, onion and whole spices  to the chicken and coat it well. Sauté for five minutes till you get nice aroma. 
8. Add 1 cup of water, adjust salt. Stir, cover and cook for ten minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
9. Add tamarind pulp and stir well. 
10. Add coconut milk and remove from heat just when it comes to a boil. 
11. Serve hot with Neer Dosa or steamed rice. 

*To make neer dosa, use regular dosa batter and dilute it till its almost buttermilk consistency. Pour on a hot non-stick griddle and turn your griddle a little bit to spread the batter. You can spread the batter like regular dosa since its too tin. Spray a little oil and fold the dosas into a semicircle and again fold triangles directly on the griddle. Don't worry if they break as they are too soft to stay firm. 

Chicken Hara Masala

I loved this chicken curry. That's all I can say!!

A true Hyderabadi delicacy, for the nawabs! Well, since we are no nawabs, regular yogurt is replaced with no fat yogurt, 1 cup almond is reduced to 10 almonds (limiting consumption to 5 almonds per person, which is considered a healthy portion! Feels good, isn't it!) and doing away with cream altogether.  But feel free to add if you want it real creamy.

For those who may want to know what taste and flavors to expect, let me do that quickly as I can't wait to share this awesome recipe with you all. Its nice refreshing and a very mild yet flavorful chicken curry. This is one of those recipes in which, the spices are so few that you begin to wonder if the curry will have any taste/ flavor at all (there are no whole spices too!) and within the first 5-10 min, you will know you are making something special! 

And for those who are curious about food, it's interesting how there is always some science behind food preparation. When the royal chefs/ khansamas prepared food for the royals, they carefully chose ingredients that would go in a specific dish. For this recipe, the heat of the almonds is compensated with the cooling property of the coriander and mint! 

You need:

Chicken – 500 grams 

Fresh coriander leaves/ Cilantro – ½  Cup

Fresh mint leaves – ¼ Cup 

Green chilies - 4 Nos. (adjust to taste)

Coconut, scraped – ¼ Cup

Almonds – 7-8 (peeled and made into a paste)

Yogurt – ½  Cup (I used no fat yogurt)

Salt -to taste

Oil- 3 tablespoons

Onion -  2 medium (thin sliced)

Ginger paste – ½ Tbsp

Garlic paste – ½ Tbsp

Curry leaves – 7-8 nos. 

Coriander powder – 1.5 tablespoon

Cumin powder – ½ tsp

Turmeric – ¼ tsp 

Fresh cream - 1 cup (Optional, I skipped this in my dish as it was creamy enough)

1. Grind the coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chilies, scraped coconut, with minimum amount of water to a very fine paste. 
2. Grind almonds to paste.
3. Marinate chicken with 2 tsp of yogurt, salt, a pinch each of turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala. Cover with a cling wrap and keep it in the fridge. 
4. Heat oil in a pan, add chopped onions and sauté till brown. The onions should be slightly dark brown(see my note below to cut down on oil consumption). Add ginger paste, garlic paste and sauté for 1-2 min.
5. Add curry leaves and mix well. 
6. Add coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric, salt and mix well. Fry for 1 min. 
7. Add the chicken and fry for 2-3 min till it coats all the masala.
8. Add yogurt and mix well. 
9. Add the ground green paste
10. Cover and cook for 5 min on medium high. Make sure you check in between so that it doesn't burn.
11. Add almond paste, mix well, cover and allow to cook on a slightly lower heat for 5 minutes or till chicken is cooked through.  
12. Lastly add fresh cream and mix well. (adding cream is optional, I had skipped in mine :) )
13. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of garam masala, mix well and remove from heat. 
14. Serve hot.

*To peel almonds – In a bowl take enough water to cover the almonds and microwave for 45 seconds. Remove and check if the skin peels off when almonds are pressed. Be careful as the water may be hot. If not ready, heat a little more. Keep checking as different ovens may have different settings and it also depends on how many almonds you are trying to pee. It's important to check every 15-20 secs after the first 45 seconds, as you don't want to dry out the almonds by over cooking. 

**As soon as you tip in the onions, add a little salt. This will sweat the onions, release all the moisture and onions will not soak oil. Once the onions are brown, pull them to the side/ rim of the pan, let the oil ooze out of the onions and collect in the center. Remove this extra oil leaving just a little to cook the remaining ingredients that you will add later. This  makes sure your onions are nicely browned and at the same time no extra oil remains in the curry.

Nargisi Kofta (Chicken and Egg Curry)

It's funny how some dishes can be inspiration from music! To cut the long story short, I was trying to google this old Bollywood number - Ae Nargise Mastana. Some typo and there you go..Google suggests Nargisi Kofta!! The music hunt stopped right there and I was busy looking up for all the ingredients in my pantry to make this Mughlai dish. 

While the traditional recipe calls for almond paste, cream and a lot of oil/ ghee for deep frying and cooking, unfortunately, there was no birthday celebration or party tonight. So order of the day was to get a nice rich tasting kofta curry without the almond paste, cream and deep frying. Trust me, this recipe will take your taste buds for a ride. It's difficult to believe, this recipe could be so tasty and creamy, without all those forbidden ingredients! 

You need:

For the Egg Kofta :

Chicken keema (mince) – approx. 250 grams for coating 3 eggs (egg size keema ball for every egg is a good way to measure how much keema you need. And I used lean mince)

Besan/ gram flour – 1.5 Tbsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric – ½ tsp

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Red Chili powder – ½ tsp

Salt – ½ tsp

Eggs – 3 nos.

Corn flour – 1 Tbsp

Oil – 3-4 Tbsp

For the Curry:

Onions – 2 large (thin sliced)

Salt – to taste

Turmeric – ½ tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Onion - 1 medium (fine chopped)
Ginger - 1 tsp (grated)
Garlic - 1 tsp (grated)
Mint - 1 Tbsp (fine chopped)

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Red Chili powder – ½ tsp

Garam Masala – 1 tsp

Bay leaf – 1

Cinnamon – 1 inch

Green cardamom – 4-5 (will be used in parts)

Black cardamom – 2  (will be used in parts)

Sugar – ½ tsp

Oil – 2 Tbsp (you can reduce this too, will be used in parts)

Poppy Seeds – 2 tsp (optional if you are going really healthy)

Yogurt – 2 Tbsp (should not be sour)

Tomato Paste – ¾ tsp (adjust to taste)

Kasuri Methi/ Dried fenugreek leaves – ½ tsp (substitute with fine shredded mint leaves)

To make egg kofta:

1. Boil eggs – In a pan bring water to a boil, gently immerse the eggs. Cover and boil for 3 min. Now switch off the heat. Let the pan stay with lid covered just like that for 15 min. Rinse under cold water and remove the shell. 
2. In a bowl add the chicken keema, besan, onion, garlic, ginger, mint, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, salt, eggs, corn flour. Mix well with hand as if kneading a dough.
3. Divide the dough in 3 equal parts (since you are making 3 eggs). As I mentioned earlier, to coat one egg, take one egg size keema ball.
4. Damp your hands with little water since this stops the keema from sticking to your palms. Place the keema ball on your palm. Now flatten the keema ball using the finger of the other hand uniformly into a circular thin disc. Flatten enough so that when you place an egg in the centre of the keema and fold the sides, the egg can be covered with the keema from all sides.
5. Heat 2-3 Tbsp of oil a non stick pan. Gently place this keema-egg roll and cook till golden brown on all sides. 
6. Remove from the pan and reserve.

Making the kofta gravy:

1. In a wide pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil.  Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, 2 green and 1 black cardamoms seeds. Fry for 30 sec.
2. Now add onion, salt, poppy seeds, ginger chunks and garlic cloves. Adding salt as soon as you add onions helps in sweating the onions and stops them from soaking the oil.  (you may add garlic pods without chopping as they will anyways be blended with onions later). 
3. Once the onion is golden brown, push them to the side of the pan. All the extra oil will ooze out which can be used to cook the gravy. Once cool transfer the onion mixture to a blender. 
4. Blend the onions with the yogurt to a very fine paste. 
5. In the remaining oil add the remaining green and black cardamoms. Now add sugar and fry till it caramelizes, ie; becomes golden brown. 
6. Now add the blended onion paste. Fry for 4-5 min.
7. Add turmeric, coriander, cumin and red chili powder and garam masala. Fry for 2-3 min. 
8. Add tomato paste and cook for 1-2 min.
9. Now add the egg koftas and mix gently. Cover and cook for 8-10 min or till the inside of the keema ball is cooked.
10. Crush kasuri methi powder between your palms and sprinkle on the kofta curry once done. (If you are a cream lover, go ahead, drizzle that lovely silky stuff!! )
11. Serve hot with flaky parathas!

*If you don't have tomato paste or puree, give a gentle cut using a knife on the tomatoes to only cut the outer thin skin. This is done so that the it becomes easier to peel off the skin of the tomato after blanching it. In boiling water add the tomatoes and boil for 2 min. When you see the skin is peeling off, remove from heat. Peel off the skin. Remove the seeds from inside and blend. You can now use this tomato puree to make a  smooth creamy gravy.

Malaysian Chicken Curry (Nyonya Style)

This is a typical Nyonya (also called nonya) preparation. Nonya cooking is the result of blending Chinese ingredients and wok cooking techniques with spices used in Malaysian and Indonesian cuisine. The food is tangy, aromatic, spicy and herbal.

Personally for me, its a perfect mix of Indian spices in a curry (like cinnamon, start anise) with Thai herbs (lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves). When you take the first bite, you will realize that all the herbs and spices lend a special taste to the curry as they blend in but at the same time hold on to their unique flavors as they unfold slowly, one after another.

Give it a try, as this Malaysian curry will take you by surprise. Tastes best with jasmine rice made with a little bit of coconut milk. Add Vietnamese Summer Roll with a peanutty dipping sauce as an appetizer and bingo! You have a perfect Asian dinner ready!

You need:

For the Chicken Curry

Paste:

Garlic cloves – 4-5 (peeled and roughly chopped)

Long red chilies - 4-5 (trimmed, deseeded and roughly chopped)

Lemon grass – 3 stalks (trimmed, outer leaves removed and thinly sliced)

Galangal - 5cm piece (or fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped)

Large shallots - 4 (peeled and chopped)

Ground turmeric – 1 tsp

Vegetable oil – 2-3 Tbsp

Curry:

Boneless chicken – 300 grams (thigh pieces cut into bite size cubes)

Vegetable oil – 2 Tbsp

Onions – 2 medium size (thinly sliced)

Salt – ½ tsp

Freshly ground black pepper – ½ tsp

Kaffir lime leaves – 4 nos.

Cinnamon stick – 1 no.

Star anise - 1

Coconut milk/ cream – 200 ml (try using a Thai brand which is thick)

Palm sugar (or soft brown sugar) – 1 tsp

Light soy sauce – 2 Tbsp

Fish sauce – 2 Tbsp

Long green beans - ½ cup trimmed and cut into 5cm lengths

Coriander leaves/Cilantro - Roughly torn

For the Coconut Rice:

Jasmine Rice/ Thai fragrant or other long grain rice – 300 grams

Coconut milk – 200 ml

Water – 200 ml

Fresh ginger, peeled - 5cm piece

Pinch of sea salt

1. First make the curry paste: Put the garlic, chilies, lemon grass, ginger, shallots and turmeric in a food processor and whiz to a paste. With the motor running, trickle in a little groundnut oil and blend well, scraping the sides of the processor several times. (Or you can pound the ingredients together in batches using a pestle and mortar).
2. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a large heavy-based pan or a wok.
4. Tip in the curry paste and stir over a medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant.
5. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until they are beginning to soften.
6. Add chicken to the pan and stir to coat them in the spice paste.
7. Add the lime leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise, coconut milk, stock, sugar, soy and fish sauces and bring to the boil.
8. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently for 12-15 min or until the chicken is tender.
9. Skim off any excess oil on the surface of the curry. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
10. Tip in the beans, put the lid on and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the beans are tender.
11. Scatter the coriander leaves over the curry and serve with the coconut rice.

For the coconut rice:

1. Rinse the grains in cold water to get rid of any excess starch.
2. Drain and tip into a heavy-based pan.
3. Add the coconut milk, ginger, water and salt. Stir well and bring to the boil.
4. Then reduce the heat to a simmer.
5. Cover and gently simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Keep the lid on, remove the pan from heat. Let it stay as is for 5-10 minutes.
7. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve while it is still hot.

Mughlai Chicken Korma

Hands down, the BEST chicken dish I have ever made so far. Of course, its rich, but then, its Muglai! When you bite into the first morsel, you know it was made for Moghuls! In a nut shell , this chicken dish is Royalty personified!

Have tried cutting down on oil and cream, and quite satisfied with the effort vs result. While going by my standards it is a rich gravy, but for some others, 6-7 tablespoons of oil with 3 tablespoon of light cream (for a gravy that serves 2-3 people) may not be a big deal for such an aromatic royal treat. Trust me, make it for your guests, and they will soon be spreading the word around about your cooking skills!

As most other recipes, this is my version of the Muglai Chicken Korma (no store bought special korma masala), which has been improvised over a period of time. And looks like, this time around, it was made to perfection. Follow the recipe as is, it's fool proof !!

You need: 

Don't let the extensive list scare you, as most of them are regular spices we use for daily cooking. And the cooking steps are super simple.

Chicken - 300 grams (preferably big pieced with bones, moguls didn't ever eat get to eat  boneless I guess:) )

Onion - 3 medium (sliced)

Garlic - Large cloves - 5-6

Ginger 1/2 inch piece

Tomato - 1 large (finely chopped)

Curry Leaves - 10-12 nos. 

Black Cardamom - 1 no.

Green Cardamom - 5-6 Nos.

Cinnamon Stick - 1/2 inch

Cloves - 8-10 nos.

Whole black pepper - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

coriander powder - 1.5 tsp

Red chili powder - 1 tsp

Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Dry ginger powder/  Sonth - 1/2 tsp

Garlic power - 1/4 tsp

Green cardamom fine powder - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 6-7 Tbsp

Yogurt - 3 Tbsp

Light cream - 3 Tbsp (usually its heavy cream, but I use light and it works just fine)

Almonds - 7-8 (skin removed. Though this makes the dish look even more special while serving, but I skip it. It's totally optional)

1. In a heavy bottom pan add 2 Tbsp of oil. Fry the onions with chopped ginger and garlic for 1-2 min. Blend well into a very fine paste without adding any water (this step removes the pungent and bitter taste of onion and at the same time, you will need much lesser oil now to make the same recipe )
2. In the same heavy bottom pan, add the remaining oil. Add the onion, ginger, garlic paste now and fry for 2-3 min, till nice pink color is seen. Blend this into a fine paste/
3. Add chicken and mix well. Cover and cook for 4-5 min.
4. Add tomatoes, curry leaves and all other spices (both powdered and whole)
5. Stir well. Cover and cook till chicken is done. You can make out when the masala starts leaving oil on the sides and also starts sticking a little to the base. 
6. At this stage,  mix yogurt and light cream thoroughly to get a homogeneous mixture. Add this to the curry above, cover and cook till its done well. 
7. Add almonds and raisins once you switch off the flame. (skip if you are watching your weight but if you are inviting special guests over, you can always add almonds/ raisins to make the dish look so very Muglai!)
8. Serve hot with Paratha or Naan.